Environment

Many Vermonters enjoy living close to the state’s beautiful rivers and streams. But the Agency of Natural Resources is helping cities and towns consider whether they want to give waterways more room to move and flood by restricting development. But even talk of restrictions can stir up opposition.

Chris Campany, the director of the Windham Regional Commission is sitting next to Whetstone Brook in Brattleboro which flooded the streets during Tropical Storm Irene. Campany said the power of waterways like this one inspired the earliest development in Vermont.

Mon 4/22/13 Noon & 7pm Mud isn't the only thing that reminds us it's spring. With the warmer weather comes the return of the dawn chorus. The chirrup of the chickadee, the scree of the starling, the flutter of the finch, the warble of the warbler...it's enough to make anyone smile. 'Bird Diva' Bridget Butler joins us with the latest avian updates in the region.

Water and sewer customers in Montpelier will be receiving some advice with their April bill on what is and is not acceptable to flush down the toilet. This comes after a wad of industrial cleaning rags was found to be the cause of a backup in the system on March 11. The result was an estimated 360,000 gallons of effluent discharged into the Winooski River. In his weekly report on Friday, City Manager William Fraser wrote:

A pipeline company needs a state Act 250 land use permit if it wants to ship tar sands oil through northern Vermont, a district environmental coordinator has ruled.

In an eight page decision, District 7 Environmental Coordinator Kirsten Sultan said the land use law applies because reversing the flow of the pipeline to carry the heavy crude would be a substantial change to the existing development.

Environmentalists had called for Act 250 review of the potential tar sands project. Jim Murphy, a senior counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, hailed the ruling.

The Vermont Health Department is launching a research study this month into Eastern Equine Encephalitis - also referred to as "triple E" - a rare disease.

Health officials are asking for volunteers from three towns near where the mosquito-borne disease killed two people last year.

The study will test how many volunteers from Brandon, Sudbury and Whiting are infected with the virus that causes EEE, but have not gotten seriously ill. The blood tests would detect antibodies to the virus.

Erica Berl is an infectious disease epidemiologist with the Health Department.

Earlier this week officials in New Hampshire said they had found an infestation of emerald ash borer in the Concord area.

Now Vermont officials are reminding the public that the best way to prevent the spread of the insect is to burn local firewood.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive pest from China first detected in this country in 2002. Since then it has been discovered in 19 states, including New York and Massachusetts and the province of Quebec.

A Senate committee is spending much of the week on legislation that would establish new protections for the shorelines of lakes and ponds.

The House passed a version of the bill last month. But the compromise disappointed both environmentalists - who want to see tougher restrictions - and property rights advocates, who oppose new state regulation.

Congressman Peter Welch is planning to announce legislation he says will make it easier to pay for renewable energy projects in Vermont and around the country.

Welch will talk about the proposal today with Vermont renewable energy companies at AllEarth Renewables in Williston.

Welch plans to tour the facility before the round-table discussion at 1 p.m.,which will include representatives from AllEarth, Darker Solar, Northern Power Systems, Encore Redevelopment and other companies.

Vermont health officials are seeking volunteers for a study of Eastern equine encephalitis.

Matthew Thomas of the state Department of Health says officials hope to learn more about the prevalence of the mosquito-transmitted virus in Vermont. Two men, one from Brandon and the other from Sudbury, died last year in Vermont's first human cases of EEE.

Thomas tells the Rutland Herald that the plan is to draw blood from 150 to 200 volunteers at clinics in Brandon, Whiting and Sudbury.